


intricacies of yearning

by maguna_stxrk



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Canon Divergence - Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie), F/M, M/M, Pining Steve Rogers, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-23
Updated: 2020-04-23
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:33:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 627
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23800852
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maguna_stxrk/pseuds/maguna_stxrk
Summary: “Look,” Steve says as Bruce continues to watch him anxiously, “as maybe the world’s leading authority on waiting too long? Don’t. You both deserve a win.”Steve smiles, lets the words sink in. He turns to walk away when—“What about you?”Steve pauses, eyebrows furrowed. “Whataboutme?”(or, what should have happened during that party scene in AOU)
Relationships: Bruce Banner/Natasha Romanov (mentioned), Steve Rogers/Tony Stark
Comments: 9
Kudos: 225





	intricacies of yearning

“It’s nice.”

Bruce turns to look at him, startled.

“What— what— what is?”

“You and Romanoff.”

“No, we haven’t— That wasn’t—”

“It’s okay,” Steve chuckles lightly, holding a placating hand out, “nobody’s breaking any bylaws. It’s just she’s not the most… open person in the world. But with you, she seems very relaxed.”

“No, Natasha, she’s just… She likes to flirt,” Bruce shrugs, his voice soft as always, smile uneasy.

“I’ve seen her flirt,” Steve leans over the bar to grab a bottle of beer from the cooler, “up close. This ain’t that.” He can’t get drunk, of course, but he _is_ thirsty and after looking around enviously around the room—realizing that nearly everyone is nursing a glass of their own—his hands have been itching to hold any drink at all, supersoldier serum be damned. He hates feeling left out. Despite having had some of Thor’s magical Asgardian booze, he doesn’t feel anything but sober. Steve hopes it just hasn’t kicked in yet.

“Look,” Steve says as Bruce continues to watch him anxiously, “as maybe the world’s leading authority on waiting too long? Don’t. You both deserve a win.”

Steve smiles, lets the words sink in. He turns to walk away when—

“What about you?”

Steve pauses, eyebrows furrowed. “What _about_ me?”

Bruce looks down, lips twitching as if suppressing a smile. “How long do you plan on waiting this time?”

“I’m… not sure I follow.”

Bruce stuffs his hands down his pockets and looks at a certain direction. Steve follows his gaze and— Oh.

“Oh,” Steve says, feeling all of sudden like all the oxygen has rushed out of his lungs.

“Yeah. _Oh._ ” Bruce looks at him knowingly. Steve resists the urge to squirm.

“I don’t— I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Steve clears his throat, even as he feels warm from the neck up, clearly flustered and fooling no one. 

“Come on, Steve. I’m not blind.” With a gentle hand on his elbow, Bruce turns Steve’s body towards the direction he was looking at before and Steve—

Steve can’t seem to look away.

Steve has been trying all night not to ogle at him too obviously like a lovesick puppy, but who is he kidding?

_He doesn’t want to look away._

Across the room, Tony looks absolutely breathtaking, dressed in a pressed all-black suit. It is hugging his figure nicely, accentuating it in a way that makes Steve wants to do something stupid, like put his arms around Tony’s waist to see how well he would fit in his embrace. To be fair, Tony could show up dressed in a potato sack and Steve would still have trouble taking his eyes off of him--maybe even _more_ so, if a potato sack was _the only thing_ he was wearing--but that is beside the point. 

He watches as Tony laughs at Thor’s story—told animatedly with his signature booming voice and arms waving about—crinkles forming in the corners of his lovely brown eyes. Tony takes a sip of his drink and freezes when he meets Steve’s eyes.

He feels Bruce pat him gently on the back and Steve thinks he hears him mutter something about Steve needing to take his own advice, but he is not sure. He doesn’t have a clue about anything anymore because Tony is finishing the drink in his hands, head tilted back and eyes still locked on Steve like a predator eyeing up its prey.

Tony starts walking towards him. Steve stands still as a statue, his own heartbeat ringing in his ears.

“Steve,” greets Tony, lips quirking up in a soft smile.

Steve swallows and takes a fortifying breath before answering in a voice that sounds way too breathless even to his own ears:

“Tony.”

**Author's Note:**

> Come find me on Tumblr [@maguna-stxrk](https://maguna-stxrk.tumblr.com/) and let's talk all things stevetony! :)


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